1、a pigeon(鸽子)
a pigeon, oppressed by excessive thirst, saw a goblet of water painted on a signboard. not supposing it to be only a picture, she flew towards it with a loud whir and unwittingly dashed against the signboard, jarring herself terribly. having broken her wings by the blow, she fell to the ground, and was caught by one of the bystanders.
moral:zeal should not outrun discretion.
一只鸽子口渴得很难受,看见画板上画着一只水杯。她并不以为那只是一幅画,而是发出一声响亮的呼噜声,朝画飞去,无意中撞在了招牌上,把自己撞得很不稳。她的翅膀被风吹断了,摔在地上,被一个旁观者抓住。
寓意:热情不应超过谨慎。
2、the dog and the shadow(狗和影子)
it happened that a dog had got a piece of meat and was carrying it home in his mouth to eat it in peace. now, on his way home he had to cross a plank lying across a running brook. as he crossed, he looked down and saw his own shadow reflected in the water beneath. thinking it was another dog with another piece of meat, he made up his mind to have that also. so he made a snap at the shadow in the water, but as he opened his mouth the piece of meat fell out, dropped into the water and was never seen more.
moral:beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow.
一只狗嘴里衔着一块肉,走过一条河上面的桥,看见他自己在水里的影子,以为是另一只狗,那时狗衔着的肉,比他自己的还要大一倍。因此他仍掉自己的那一块,狠狠地扑向那只狗,想夺到那一块较大的肉。结果两头都落了空,因为他想要抓取在水中的那一块,只不过是一个影子,而原来的那一块,也被水冲走了。
寓意:谨记,切莫因追逐幻影而丢失已有的东西。
The Thirsty Pigeon口渴的鸽子
A PIGEON, oppressed by excessive thirst, saw a goblet of water painted on a signboard. Not supposing it to be only a picture, she flew towards it with a loud whir and unwittingly dashed against the signboard, jarring herself terribly. Having broken her wings by the blow, she fell to the ground, and was caught by one of the bystanders.
Zeal should not outrun discretion.
有只鸽子口渴得很难受,看见画板上画着一个水瓶,以为是真的。他立刻呼呼地猛飞过 去,不料一头碰撞在画板上,折断了翅膀,摔在地上,被人轻易地捉住了。
这是说,有些人想急于得到所需的东西,一时冲动,草率从事,就会身遭不幸。
The Raven and the Swan乌鸦和天鹅
A RAVEN saw a Swan and desired to secure for himself the same beautiful plumage. Supposing that the Swan's splendid white color arose from his washing in the water in which he swam, the Raven left the altars in the neighborhood where he picked up his living, and took up residence in the lakes and pools. But cleansing his feathers as often as he would, he could not change their color, while through want of food he perished.
Change of habit cannot alter Nature.
乌鸦非常羡慕天鹅洁白的羽毛。他猜想天鹅一定是经常洗澡,羽毛才变得如此洁白无 瑕。于是,他毅然离开了他赖以生存的祭坛,来到江湖边。他天天洗刷自己的羽毛,不但一 点都没洗白,反而因缺少食物饥饿而死。
这故事是说,人的本性不会随着生活方式的改变而改变。
The Goat and the Goatherd 山羊与牧羊人
A GOATHERD had sought to bring back a stray goat to his flock. He whistled and sounded his horn in vain; the straggler paid no attention to the summons. At last the Goatherd threw a stone, and breaking its horn, begged the Goat not to tell his master. The Goat replied, "Why, you silly fellow, the horn will speak though I be silent."
Do not attempt to hide things which cannot be hid.
很多山羊被牧羊人赶到羊圈里。有一只山羊不知在吃什么好东西,单独落在后面。牧羊 人拿起一块石头扔了过去,正巧打断了山羊的一只角。牧羊人吓得请求山羊不要告诉主人, 山羊说:“即使我不说,又怎能隐瞒下去呢?我的角已断了,这是十分明显的事实。”
这故事说明,明显的罪状是无法隐瞒的。
Be Careful What You Wish For 慎重许愿
A couple had been married for 25 years and were celebrating their 60th birthdays, which fell on the same day.
During the celebration a fairy appeared and said that because they had been such a loving couple for all 25 years, she would give them one wish each.
The wife wanted to travel around the world. The fairy waved her hand, and Boom! She had the tickets in her hand.
Next, it was the husband‘s turn. He paused for a moment, then said shyly, "Well, I‘d like to have a woman 30 years younger than me."
The fairy picked up her wand, and Boom! He was ninety.
一对结婚25周年的夫妻在庆祝他们六十岁的生日。他们恰好在同一天出生。庆祝活动中,一位仙女出现了。她说,由于他们是已经结婚25年的恩爱夫妻,因此她给许给这对夫妻每个人一个愿望。
妻子想周游世界。仙女招了招手。“呯!”的一声,她的手中出现了一张票。接下来该丈夫许愿了。他犹豫片刻,害羞地说,“那我想要一位比我年轻30岁的女人。”
仙女拾起了魔术棒。“呯!”,他变成了90岁。